Alien: Probes from the refinery transplanted elsewhere

a)Transplanting brass probesMartin Bower turned up with lots of pieces of brass to represent probes on the refinery.

The first day Ridley came to look at the Nostromo, he saw the big refinery model, spotted all the spires on the towers, decided against the look and asked if the modelling team could pull a few of them off, which Bill Pearson did, and then Ridley wanted them stuck on the underside of the Nostromo, so they'd point down towards the surface of the planet.

b) Last minute additionsIt got to the point where Ridley was asking Bill to stick bits on the model even when it was in front of the camera.

Ridley had an image in mind and discussed it with the modelling team on the stage, but also it was a case of him seeing a bit that he thought should be busier and so the modellers would stick more wiggets onto it.

Most of the antennae were epoxied in after the model had been drilled, though some were taped on with gaffer tape.

Two probes were on two small rams, as there was a piece in the dialogue about retracting umbilicals.

The probes , which were in a down position, would them come up flush, but they wouldn't make it into the final cut. Ridley liked the antennae very much because he could bring his camera right up to them, giving the model a rigged look like an old sailing ship

Bill Pearson: Martin
joined us a few months into the production. He turned up a lot of brass
to represent probes on the refinery. Ridley decided against this look
and they were ripped out and ended up on the Nostromo lander. Others
ended up as dressing on the flame throwers. Nicky Alder walked in one
day and said, 'Dress these." and Martin got the short straw (Sci-Fi & Fantasy FX #48, p26, column 3)

Bill Pearson: The
first day Ridley came to look at the Nostromo, he saw the big refinery
model, spotted all the spires on the towers, and asked if we could pull a
few of them off, so I did, and he asked if if I could stick them along
the underside of the Nostromo, so they'd point down towards the surface
of the planet. Ridley kept asking me to stick bits on the model even
when it was in front of the camera, he'd see a bit, he thought it should be
busier, so we'd stick more wiggets onto it. He particularly likes his
antennae, because he could bring his camera right up to them, giving the
model a rigged look, like an old sailing ship. (SFX#6, p34 (this text here needs checking slightly again))

Geoff Topping: When you were dressing the Nostromo tug, was it a case of just sticking the probes in anywhere or was there a discussion on it? Bill Pearson:Ridley
had an image in mind, and had discussed it with us on the stage. Most
were epoxied in after the model had been drilled, though some were taped
on with gaffer tape! Two probes were on two small rams, as there was a
piece in the dialogue about retracting umbilicals. The probes, which
were in a down position, would then come up flush, but, like most
things, it never made the final cut(Sci-Fi & Fantasy FX #48, p27)